Bigwigs ‘plotted’ Etala’s ouster
The controversy over Jamuna Hatcheries encroaching into assigned lands given to the poor in Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s native Medak district seems to have been brought to fore by the powers that be with a purpose of “getting rid of” health minister Etala Rajendar.
Immediately after the polling in two corporations and five municipalities concluded on Friday evening, two vernacular TV channels including the one owned by the Chief Minister’s family started airing stories on the alleged encroachment of assigned lands by the minister.
T News owned by the Chief Minister’s family even gave a caption, ‘Health Minister’s land encroachment disease’, dropping enough hints on the future course of action including likely dismissal as was hinted at by sources in the CM’s camp.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER the polling in two corporations and five municipalities concluded on Friday evening, two vernacular TV channels including the one owned by the Chief Minister’s family started airing stories on the alleged encroachment of assigned lands by the health minister.
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Within no time, the Chief Minister ordered an inquiry into the allegations and directed chief secretary Somesh Kumar to submit a report by Saturday after obtaining inputs from the district collector.
The ruling dispensation had built its case on the depositions of former collector Dharma Reddy and serving additional collector Nagesh who went on record that the minister tried to get the assignment lands regularised but he was told, in return, that the rules did not permit it.
The health minister shot back at the two officials, who came under the lens of the anti-corruption bureau in a land scam worth hundreds of crores of rupees. “You know about their credentials. I don’t need to talk about it,” the health minister stated at a press conference.
Inquiries by Deccan Chronicle revealed that the company belonging to the minister’s wife Jamuna Reddy entered into sale agreements with the original assignees, mostly belonging to Backward Classes, in Achampet village a few years ago and explored the possibilities of owning the land.
The Medak district revenue authorities initiated the proceedings under Prohibition of Transfer Act 1977 two years ago following complaints from a few farmers but did not take the case to its logical conclusion.
“As per the PoT Act, the government will take back the lands from people who are in possession and give it to the original assignee. “The government will retain the land with it if it is found that the assignee had willfully transferred the ownership for a second time,” a senior district revenue official said.
The minister clarified that the farmers had voluntarily submitted letters to the tehsildar, surrendering their lands. “The idea was to take the same lands for my poultry industry through the government,” Rajendar said.